I already have the computer I want

I was shopping for a new laptop so that I don't have to carry my heavy office computer around, but I just found out that I probably already have the computer I want.

The reason of research was trying to find a reasonably priced computer to run Visual Studio 2013 in order to do work stuff.  I do have a work computer: Dell Dimension M6600.  It's extremely capable to do everything I throw at it, but it's just too heavy to carry it around.  So I was hoping to get a computer that is so lightweight that I can bring it everywhere I go.

So first I looked at Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga i7 at Microsoft Store.  I like almost everything of it, but the digitizer problem irritates me.  In fact, I once brought it, used it for a week, and ended up returning it.

Next is Lenovo Y50 4K.  I tried Lenovo Y50 and find it fast, yet having 2 serious problem: keyboard arrangement and worst of all, the lousy display.  Y50 4K at least solved the display problem.  But then I read a lot of review about the yellowish color inaccuracy problem.  Also, the price at Lenovo online store is slightly better, yet I hope that I can just buy it from local store.  Microsoft Store has it, but the price is a bit higher.

Dell XPS 11 seems like a cheap alternative.  But then the CPU was just too slow for my software development need.

Then I turned to Mac.  MacBook Air islight weight enough with super long battery life.  However in order to do my work, and support dual boot to Windows environment, I need at least 8Gb of memory and 256Gb of space, and also a 13 inch screen.  Once I added those, price jumped to $1299.  And then development takes more powerful CPU.  Adding i7 CPU pushes the price to $1449.  Too expansive for my taste.

MacMini is yet another option I looked at.  The lowest model has crappy CPU and only 4Gb of memory, so it's totally out.  $699 Mac Mini has 8Gb and 1Tb harddisk so it seems more reasonable.  However it's not expandable, and any option to improve the item, including adding better CPU, add more memory, instantly brings the device over $1000 mark.  Also, it does NOT have a security lock, and thus makes it not workplace friendly.

After all these researches, I suddenly realized that I had this Asus Eee Slate that has 35Gb harddisk space left, that I may be able to use it as a development laptop.  The problem though is that it doesn't have a big enough screen for my development purpose, and it didn't support DVI connection as it only had a mini HDMI port .... or was it?  I checked and found out that I had a DVI adapter for used with my older but now dead Mac Mini.  I wonder if it would work for my Eee Slate.  I tried ... and .. BINGO .. it WORKED.  So now am able to use it with my monitors at workplace, and thus allow me to use my monitors at workplace.  Nice, and will try set it up this coming Monday when I go to work.

Still, I found ThinkPad Yoga appealing to me as it's easy to upgrade harddisk.  However, memory is soldered on mother board.  So I will be stuck with 8Gb forever.  That makes me uncomfortable of getting it.

So at the end, I probably will not buy any new laptop,or maybe just get a $699 Mac Mini (no additional upgrade no nothing) if I have this super urge to try out Mac OSX application.